Summary

• The Sino-US trade war is a symptom of strategic rivalry and great power transition
• The trade war has both risks (loss of profit margins for intermediate goods) and opportunities (trade diversion) for the Philippines
• The Philippines needs to diversify commercial markets and intensify free trade agreements to buffer the impact of trade wars
• The Philippines should employ means to make the country a more attractive investment destination
• The Fourth Industrial Revolution in conjunction with the trade war is another major disruptor that the Philippines should anticipate

About the Author

Aaron Rabena, PhD is Program Convenor and Fellow at the Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress. He is also a former Senior Lecturer at the Asian Center in the University of the Philippines and was a Visiting Fellow at the China Institute of International Studies in Beijing. His research interests include Strategic Studies, Geopolitics, East Asian International Relations, Political Risk, and Chinese Politics and Foreign Policy.